Painting stage - cleaning dust from the wood

[s_busby_uk]

What's the best way to get rid of sawdust etc from an MDF cabinet prior to painting? I mean the stuff that seems to cling to it like dust to static. I've heard it's not a great idea to get MDF wet, but it seems to me some sort of damp rag would be the most effective solution. What do people recommend?

[Generic Eric]

What's the best way to get rid of sawdust etc from an MDF cabinet prior to painting? I mean the stuff that seems to cling to it like dust to static. I've heard it's not a great idea to get MDF wet, but it seems to me some sort of damp rag would be the most effective solution. What do people recommend?

In shop class we used a horse hair brush.  But we didn't use MDF

[s_busby_uk]

Yeah I have a fairly effective brush, but MDF dust is so fine that much of the swept dust just goes back into the air it seems.

[Generic Eric]

Dryer sheets?

Perhaps you need to capture the sawdust during the cut more efficiently.

[Louis Tully]

.

[s_busby_uk]

Yeah the problem is I don't have a proper hoover and I didn't much fancy buying one for the sake of the project (I'm in a small flat so I only really use a good dustbuster with a handle!).

Yeah I was thinking of lightly spraying a cloth and running that over it carefully - but would some form of alcohol be better maybe?

[yotsuya]

I use a paper towel lightly dampened by Windex.

[Hoopz]

Damp rag and do it multiple times with allowing the water to evaporate each time.  Not very damp so it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to dry. You can do this a few times and get everything off.

[lilshawn]

tack cloth.

it's like gauze or (more recently) microfiber with sticky resin impregnated into it. you just wipe it down lightly and everything sticks to it. if you don't wipe hard with it, it won't leave any residue. if it does leave a residue, just wipe the piece down with a rag with some lacquer thinner.

you just have to be careful you don't allow any water/solvents etc. you use to be absorbed into the wood (especially the cut edges.) or it's going to swell up on you like a depressed ex.

[DeLuSioNal29]

tack cloth.

+ 1

Home Depot sells them.  Just a word of advice:  Wear work gloves or latex gloves while using it.  The tack cloth's residue will tend to get your hands sticky.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-Tack-Cloths-3-Pack-88-WFTC3/100295475

DeLuSioNaL29

[Louis Tully]

.

[Vigo]

Running over everything with a shop vac takes care of most of it for me.

[Le Chuck]

Tac cloth = great advice
Damp rag = not bad advice, works as long as you don't saturate the piece and let it dry before painting
Leaf blower = most awesome redneck solution.  I use it all the time.